Upper Hill steer Metropolitan to schools' crown

Upper Hill's Meshak Onyango, centre, is challenged by Ignitius Ongui, left, and Joseph Mwaura of Nairobi School during the Metropolitan games held at Laiser Hill school on friday, March 25 2016. PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD.

Upper Hill School led the Metropolitan region to reclaiming the overall team title at this year’s Brookside Dairy National Secondary Schools Term One Games.

The school championships held at Friends School Kamusinga in Kimilili ended on Saturday with Metropolitan (Nairobi) topping with 67 points.

Last year’s winners Mau Region finished second with 63 points while hosts Nzoia completed the podium with 58 points. Aberdare and Lake took fourth place tied on 55 points while Coast, Highlands and Northern occupied the sixth, seventh and eighth places respectively.

Having dominated the regional games, Upper Hill School was the region’s lone boys' representative in the ball games fielding teams in basketball, hockey and rugby 15s.

The basketball team played to a resounding 80-24 win over Alliance to recapture the title they had lost to Maseno school last year.

Upper Hill coach Ronald Omanga said they had redeemed themselves from last year’s failure. "We came here determined to make amends for our mistakes in last year’s competition and I am glad we achieved our objectives. Our focus is now on the East Africa title which we also want to win,’’ Omangi told Feverpitch.

Metropolitan also topped in swimming. Upper Hill’s Ken Dwallo, who was instrumental in his side's win was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in boys’ basketball. Upper Hill’s hockey team gave a good account of themselves in their debut at the nationals, bundling out Narok 3-2 in the semis to reach the finals but lost 1-2 to hosts Kamusinga in the final.

Buru Buru Girls were unable to claim the girls’ basketball title as newcomers Kaya Tiwi ensured the title remained at the Coast following in the footsteps of last year’s winners Shimba Hills.

Mau Region dominated the cross country, heptathlon and decathlon but lost the boys’ hockey title as Narok Boys finished fourth.